Good times are rolling into Disney in celebration of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom. Inspired by Disney’s first Black princess, Tiana, the attraction will be Disney’s first one modeled after an African American character.
The attraction is full of NOLA nuggets that celebrate the city’s rich culture and history, including one of its culinary matriarchs. Leah Chase is the late former owner of Dooky’s Chase Restaurant in New Orleans. Known as the Queen of Creole Cuisine, Leah’s story was the inspiration behind the creation of Tiana. The family matriarch passed away in 2019 at the age of 96.
Disney hosted the Chase family during an exclusive media event to experience the attraction ahead of its grand opening, which included a Mardi Gras-themed celebration and a second-line band.
Edgar “Dook” Chase IV, the grandson of Leah, says his grandmother would’ve been very humble and grateful had she lived to see this opportunity for her and her family.
“My grandmother was all about bringing people together over a bowl of gumbo,” Chase says during a group interview. “She just wanted you to come to the table, have fun, celebrate, and have dialogue.”
He added, “So it’s amazing to see the similarities and the parallel of the stories being told and connectivity. I mean, they both love people, and they both love their community. They both love what they did.”
Stella Reese Chase, Leah’s daughter was named an honorary Imagineer by Disney (creative professionals who work at Walt Disney World). Empowering Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was not only empowering but emotional.
“She [Leah] was a person who believed in unity,” says Stella. “She was a person who believed that you had to appreciate yourself, love who you were, and then open your doors to love other people as well. So we thank Disney for selecting the Chase family to help them continue to tell their story of unity and for including us so that my mother’s values of entrepreneurship, of faith, of love of all people and of appreciation of who you are in your values, in your culture, can live on for many years.”
Disney also used local artists and musicians for the attraction, including NOLA-based blacksmith Darryl Reeves, who created a handcrafted weathervane for the ride and Louisiana artists Sharika Mahdi and Malaika Favorite.
Also on board was seven-time Grammy award-winning musician and NOLA native Terrance Blanchard, who composed the music for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. During a group interview, he said working on the project was a dream come true for him. “We did the music for the queue line and we were worried about people not waiting to get on the ride and get back in line and listen to the music,” he joked.
“It’s so exciting because first of all, you’re doing something for young African American girls and that means a lot to me,” says Blanchard. He also shared that The Princess and the Frog was one of the first few films his daughter was really excited about.
He added, “To see our culture on a ride is huge, we been trying to be accepted in this country for generations, just for who we are. Some people may look at this as a little thing but I don’t because this is a thing that’s going to have a huge impact on young kids, to understand their worth in the world.”
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens on June 28th at Magic Kingdom.
